5.2 The Welsh Assembly Minister for Health and Social Services has issued directions to the NHS in Wales on implementing NICE technology appraisal guidance. When a NICE technology appraisal recommends the use of a drug or treatment, or other technology, the NHS in Wales must usually provide funding and resources for it within 3 months of the guidance being published.

5.3 When NICE recommends a treatment 'as an option', the NHS must make sure it is available within the period set out in the paragraphs above. This means that, if a patient has hormone-relapsed prostate cancer, symptomatic bone metastases, no known visceral metastases and only if they have had treatment with docetaxel and the doctor responsible for their care thinks that radium‑223 is the right treatment, it should be available for use, in line with NICE's recommendations.

5.4 The Department of Health and Bayer have agreed that radium‑223 will be available to the NHS with a patient access scheme which makes it available with a discount. The size of the discount is commercial in confidence. It is the responsibility of the company to communicate details of the discount to the relevant NHS organisations. Any enquiries from NHS organisations about the patient access scheme should be directed to Lesley Gilmour (Lesley.Gilmour@Bayer.com).